Joseph Bradish

Joseph Bradish (?-1701) was a pirate in the company of Captain Kidd. One famous account of Joseph Bradish takes place on the North Shore of Long Island, New York after sailing the Adventure Galley out of London in 1698. Upon arrival, he was spotted off Sagaponack by Henry Pierson who sailed out when he saw the strange ship off shore. Reverend Ebenezer White, Pierson's neighbor, joined the pirate and Henry on a ride to East Hampton where they met with John Mulford and Nathaniel Huntting, a young East Hampton minister. Later Bradish returned to this ship bringing ashore 4 sealed bags containing 2,805 pieces of eight and a bag of jewels. He asked Colonel Pierson to take care of them. The Adventure Galley lay off Sagaponack for a few more days before ships were hired to unload the Galley"s cargo. One ship was from Southampton and two from Southold. No ships were from East Hampton so obviously suspicions grew. The Adventure Galley weighed anchor and sailed to Block Island, Rhode Island where the unloading continued. Once the ship was emptied, the pirates fired guns into the bottom of the ship causing it to sink. The crew and cargo ships scattered. On April 27, 1699, one of Colonel Pierson's neighbors told the authorities of the treasure left him by Bradish. Lord Bellomont ordered the holdings turned over to him. The rest of the treasure was never found.A year later, Bradish was sailing with Kidd when they were captured in New York, taken to London for trial, and hanged on counts of piracy with their comrades. Joseph was perhaps the grandson of Robert and Mary Bradish, early settlers of Cambridge, Massachusetts. [ISavage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692. Vol. I-IV. Boston, MA, USA: 1860-1862. ]

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